Envelop-opening machine.



H. D. TAYLOR.

ENVELOP OPENING MACHINE. APPLICATION men JUN-11311912.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETl'S-SHEET I.

l/vmwooo H. D. TAYLOR.

ENVELOP OPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. 1912.

l 1 50,905. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

, COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 1.10.. WASHINGTON. D- c.

D- TATZLQIEQF CEES EB, N ORK, A$ GNR O LIGHT I G E TE O E CQMQ ANY, F BQ HE EB NE QRK, A B PQB TIQN- ENVELOP-OPENING MACHINE.

Application filed June 13, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY D. TAY R, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and lState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop- Qpening Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine for opening envelops such as are ordinarily used in mailing letters, the machine being constructed to open the envelop by cutting off a small portion therefrom along any one edge of the envelop.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine with a pair of feeding rolls for moving the envelop forward and sidewise.

Another object of my invention is to provide a single rotary cutter by which the envelops are out.

Another object of my invention is to provide a grooved guide for the table by which the envelops are held in line as they are fed past the cutting wheel with the edge of the envelop presented to the cutting roll.

These and other objects of my invention will be fully illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved envelop opening machine. Fig, 2 is an end elevation of the machine. .Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved envelop opening machine. Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional elevation of one of the rubber rollers by which the envelops are fed.

In the accompanying drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 dicates the frame of the machine on which is mounted a table 2. At the left hand side of this table as shown in Fig. 2, is placed a guide 3 which has therein a V-shaped groove 4 which is surmounted by a flangev 5. Connected to the guide 3 are the slotted lugs 6 and 7 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Through the slots in these lugs extend the binding screws 8 and 9 which extend into the table 2 for the purpose of clamping the guide 3 thereto. The slots in the lugs 6 and 7' permit of any adjustment of the guide with reference to the table and knife that may be desired.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 24, 1915,

Serial NO- 70.3,,5 8d.

On e ase 1 is provided the 111g 10 h ng a su table recess therein for a purpose which will presently appear.

Fig. 4. These disks are made preferably of ordinary elastic rubber and are capable of stretching and yielding as they rotate. The rollers are mounted so that they will make contact with each other as shown in Fig. 2 by which con-tact they will cause the envelops to feed forward in the direction of the rotation of the rollers. The elasticity of the rollers, permitting them to yield or bend as they turn toward each other, causes them not only tov advance the envelops forward but causes them to move the envelops sidewise as well and this faculty of the rollers by which they impart a lateral movement to the envelop fed thereby, is an important feature of my invention. As the rollers meet and make contact with each other, the circular flanges of the rollers yield toward the left in Fig. 2. This yielding goes on progressively as the rollers rotate and causes the envelop to move more and more to the left as it advances or causes it to be crowded firmly against the guide and into the V-shaped groove therein and held against it as it advances. The rollers also frequently cause the envelop to become somewhat bulged between the rollers and the guide. The thicker the envelop, the more pronounced does its lateral movement become due to the rollers.

- F astened to the basel is a motor 20, the frame of which motor has the lugs 21 22 thereon by which it is bolted or otherwise fastened to corresponding lugs on the frame 1 of the machine. This motor is an electrical motor and has an armature mounted therein which armature has a shaft 23, which. shaft projects beyond the casing of the motor and on the end thereof carries the disk cutter 2A. The axis of the motor stands at an acute angle to the shafts or bearings of the rollers 14 and and the disk which it carries on the end thereof, likewise stands at an acute angle to the flange 5 of the guide on the feed table. This cutter 24: consists of a single circular cutting blade which has a beveled edge thereon which bevel stands Integral with this shaft also, is the pulley 30 of smaller diameter over which pulley runs the belt 21 which belt in turn passes over the pulley 32 keyed to the shaft of the feeding roller 15. The shaft which carries the pulleys 28 and 30 is mounted on the swinging arm 3% which is pivotally mounted in the bracket 35 fastened to the base 1. Any suitable tensiondevice such as a spring, may be used for drawing the arm 3A down at its outer end, keeping the belts 31 and 27 tight. The gearing of the several parts is such that the cutting wheel 24: will run with an angular velocity several times greater than that of the feed rollers. I

The V-shaped recess in the guide 3 is pro vided for the purpose of receiving the edge of the envelop and holding it from moving up or down as it moves past the disk cutter. It also serves to straighten out any irregularities that may be at the edge of the envelop so that the edge of the envelop is presented uniformly to the edge of the cutter as it passes. The V-shaped groove is substantially on a level with the meeting edges of the feed rollers and is also on a level with the horizontal diameter of the disk cutter, it being found by test that the parts work best in this relation. The cutter cuts a thin slice from the edge of the envelop and leaves it open along that edge. On account of its angular position relative to the edge of the envelop, it needs no ledger blade to work against'it being easily capable of cutting while the edge of the envelop is held in line and supported by the V-shaped groove of the guide.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Envelops are placed upon the feed table and moved into contact with the feeding and deflecting devices or rollers which immediately carry the envelops forward and deflect them sidewise against the guide, holding them firmly in contact with the guide flange during the feeding. As will be noticed, the meeting plane of the feed rollers is above the surface of the table so that, while the envelops are being fed, they will be lifted free from the table. The feeding and deflecting devices or rollers force the envelops laterally against the guide, pinching the outside wrappers in such a manner that such wrappers are caused to bulge about their contents and assume the shape of the groove until the opening in the groove is reached, when the bulged portion spreads' or flattens so as to carry such portion of the envelop away from the contents. At this time, the cutter operates on the envelop in such a manner that the envelop is not deflected or moved from its path of travel. This is due to the fact that the line of the guide substantially intersects the axis of the cutter and the cutter has its'edge so formed and arranged. that after the envelop is cut, the envelop does not engage with the cutter. In other words, the bevel of the cutter is substantially-- alined with the guide and the main portion of the cutter is thrown to one side of the guide.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and patentable is as follows:

1. The combination in a machine for opening envelops of a feedtable thereon, a guide on one side of said feed table, said guide having a Vshaped groove therein extending the full length, thereof.

2. The combination in a machine for opening envelops of a feed table thereon, a guide on one side of said feed table, said guide having a .V-shaped groovetherein extending the full length thereof, said groove being raised slightly above the level of the table, said guide presenting an inclined surface from the table up to said groove.

3. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a table having a guide along one edge thereof, a pair of feeding devices mounted to rotate in contact with each other, each of said. feeding devices being made of rubber and having the shape of a shallow cup.

A. In a machine. for opening envelops, the combination of a table having a guide along one edge thereof, apair of feeding devices mounted to rotate in contactwith each other, each of said feeding devices being made of rubber and having the shape of a shallow cup, saidfeeding 'devices being capable of yielding ii the direction of the guide as they come together. I

5. Ina machine for opening envelops, the combination with a guide having a groove extending longitudinally thereof and provided with a recess, of a cutting wheel having a continuous peripheral knife edge operating in said recess, the plane of the operation of the wheel being at an acute angle to that of the guide, and a feeding mechanism for moving the envelop so that one edge of each of such envelops travels in the groove of the guide and past the edge ofthe knife operating in the recess.

6. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a guide having a groove extending longitudinally thereof, of. a cutting mechanism for operating on an edge of an envelop movable along the guide, a feeding mechanism for moving the, envelops along the guide, said feeding .mechanism having provisionfor causingthe envelops to be forced against the guide in order to cause the edge thereof to assume the shape of the groove of the guide, the guide being provided with an opening in advanceof the cutting mechanism in which the edge of the envelop may expand independently of its contents to be cut by the cutting mechanism.

-7.'In a machine for cutting envelops, the

combination of a feed table, a cutting'whee'l having a knife edge mounted to rotate on an axis parallel with and slightly above the plane of the table, said cutting wheel standing at an acute angle with the edge of the table and mechanism for feeding the envelops along the table.

8. In a machine for cutting envelops, the combination of a feed table, a pair of feeding and deflecting rollers working in connection therewith, a cutting wheel having a knife edge thereon mounted adjacent to said rolls, a guide placed in connection therewith, said parts cooperating to lift the envelop free of the table and press the edge thereof against the guide and the cutting wheel and feed the envelop along the guide.

9. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a table, a guide adjacent to said table and having its center line slightly above the table, a pair of feeding rolls operating in connection with said table, said feeding rolls operating to lift the envelop above said table and press it laterally against and into the guide.

10. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a table, a guide adjacent to said table and having its center line slightly above the table, a pair of feeding rolls operating in connection with said table, said feeding rolls operating to lift the envelop above said table and press it laterally against and into the guide, said rolls operat ing to press the edge of the envelop into the guide and causes it to assume approximately the shape of the guide.

11. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a grooved guide having a recess therein, of feeding and defiecting mechanism for forcing the envelops laterally into the groove and longitudinally along the same, and a cutting mechanism operating through the recess of the guide.

12. In an envelop opening machine, the combination with a guide, of feeding and deflecting mechanism which acts on the envelops to move them laterally toward the guide and also along the latter, said mechanism pinching the outside wrappers to cause them to bulge on their contents, means permitting the bulged portion to spread out at a certain point in the travel of the envelop free from the contents, and a cutting mechanism for operating on the edge of the envelop after it has been thus spread or flattened.

18. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism,

of a grooved guide for-directing the ention.

14. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, of a grooved guide for directing the envelops to the cutting mechanism, and a pair of feeding elements cooperating to support the envelops and force them laterally into the grooved guide and also along the latter to the cutting mechanism during the cutting action.

15. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, of a guide for directing the envelops to the cutting mechanism, and a movable feeding ele ment having a laterally yielding face cooperating with the envelops, the face of said element being so formed that in yielding it forces the envelops toward the guide.

16. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a guide and a cutting mechanism for operating on the envelops, moving on the guides, of two cooperating rotary feeding elements between which the envelops are held, said elements having laterally yielding faces formed to carry the envelops toward the guide as they are moved toward the cutters.

17. In a machine for opening envelops,the combination with a guide for the envelops provided with a groove, of a single rotary cutter with a knife edge for cutting envelops, moved along the guide, said cutter having its aXis of rotation substantially intersecting the bottom of the groove and de fleeting and feeding devices for moving the envelop to the guide and along the same.

18. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a guide along which the envelops are moved, of a single rotary cutting wheel having a peripheral knife edge and located with its aXis of rotation in provimity to the plane of travel of the envelops and in a position to cut the edges of envelops moving along the guide, and feeding and deflecting devices for moving the envelop laterally toward the guide and along the latter. I

19. A machine for opening envelops comprising a cutting mechanism, mechanism for feeding the envelops to the cutting mechanism and for bulging the envelops along one of their edges on their contents and means for causing portions of the bulged portions to be presented to the cutting mechanism free from the contents of the envelops. 20. A mechanism for opening envelops be presented tothe cutting mechanism free from the contents of the envelops. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY D. TAYLOR.

comprising a cutting mechanism, a guide along Which the envelops are fed to the cutting mechanism, mechanism for moving the envelops along the guide and laterally to- Ward the same, saidmechanism having provision for bulging the envelops on their contents along one of their edges, and means acting on said bulged portion to cause it to Witnesses:

LENA M. ASH, ERIC ISCHINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. I 1

Washington, D. G.

DISCLAIMER- 1,150,905.-Henry D. Taylor, Rochester, N. Y. ENVELOP-OPENING MACHINE.

- Patent dated August 24, 1915. Disclaimer filed May 29, 1918, by The Bircher Oompam, Ina, assignee by mesne assignments.

Enters this disclaimer e To that part of the claims of said specification Which is in the following Words, to Wit: 4

12. In an envelop opening machine, the combination With a guide, of feedin and deflecting mechanism which acts on the envelops to move them laterally towarc the guide and also along the latter, said mechanism pinching the outside Wrappers to cause them to bulge on their contents, means permitting the bulged portion to spread out at a certain point in the travel of the envelop free from the contents, and a cutting mechanism for operating on the edge of the envelop after it has been thus spread or flattened.

19. A machine for opening envelops comprising a cutting mechanism, mechanism for feeding the envelope to the cutting mechanism and for bulging the cnvelo )s along one of their edges on their contents and means for causing portions of the bulged portions to be presented to the cutting mechanism free from the contents of the envelops.

[Ojficial Gazette May 21, 1918.] 

